What the Heart Wants ; Sealed with a Kiss

by Donna Hill

  “Well, wouldn’t that make the person who put all the work into creating the surprise special too?” Tyson teased, raising a brow.

  “Yes. Okay.” Kendall blushed. The urge to run his finger over her heated cheeks hit Tyson hard. He kept his hands to himself. “You’re special too,” she said.

  “Thanks. I knew there was something special about you when I heard you sing that day in the office. No one would have made a better Jocelyn James.”

  Kendall beamed. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Tyson’s voice gained a husky tone.

  Moments passed with them simply looking into one another’s eyes. Tyson wanted to pull her in for a kiss right then.

  Kendall cleared her throat, broke the gaze. “So...how much longer is our flight going to last?”

  Tyson shifted in his seat. “We’ll actually land soon.”

  “How far is our destination from the airport?”

  “Not far at all.” Tyson looked into Kendall’s eyes. “Tell me about Kendall Chandler.”

  “What would you like to know?”

  “Everything.”

  The pilot told them to fasten their seat belts for the next half hour. They did, and he listened intently as Kendall shared stories of her family, being the only girl with two brothers, growing up in New York and then moving to Chicago, spending summers with her grandparents and helping out in their small restaurant and bakery on Long Island, her Southern roots through her grandparents, and her dreams of wanting to become a singer. Tyson took note of every detail as if he would be quizzed on the answers later.

  Finally, after more than two and a half hours of flying, they landed. Tyson took Kendall by the hand and led her through the plane. Kendall stepped off and looked around, surveying the lush, flat greenery surrounding the landing strip.

  “Whoa!” Her voice was like a whisper.

  Pride filled Tyson’s chest. He watched as she continued to scan the vast property, trees, lake and mountains in the distance.

  “Beautiful. This doesn’t look like any airport I’ve ever seen.”

  “This isn’t the airport. It’s one of my homes. This one is called Serenity Ranch. It’s where I come when I need to get away from everything and everyone.”

  “Wow.” Kendall’s mouth dropped. “I love it already. What else is here?”

  “Just in time.” Tyson pointed to an approaching Jeep. “I’ll show you. It’s always better when you see it for yourself.”

  The Jeep pulled up. Tyson greeted the driver and introduced Kendall, and the two climbed in. For the next twenty minutes, they drove around the three-hundred-acre Montana ranch, passing horse stables, groundskeepers’ residences and massive, beautiful greenery cushioned by thick walls of trees. A tennis court was set up next to the expansive log home. Before going inside, Tyson showed her around the back, where a multilevel paved deck stretched into a single wood path jutting out over the lake. Mountain vistas painted the backdrop in the distance.

  Kendall remained quiet for most of the tour. Inside, Tyson led her around the first floor, which was filled with large windows and rustic charm that blended beautifully with opulence and fine furnishings.

  “This place is amazing.” Kendall walked in a slow circle. “My place in Temecula is my sanctuary, but pales in comparison to this. Where are we?”

  “Montana.”

  “Montana? Is your family from here originally?”

  “No. DC.”

  “Really? So how do city folk come across a gem like this?” Kendall walked to the windowed wall and peered out over the lake and mountains.

  “A friend of my dad had a place out here. We visited one day and I fell in love. I had to have one of my own.”

  “This is absolutely amazing.”

  “And the best part about it...” Tyson said, pausing. Kendall widened her eyes in anticipation of the rest of his sentence. “No paparazzi!”

  “Yes!” Kendall pumped her fist. “No freaking paparazzi!” They shared a hearty laugh.

  Tyson closed the space between them. He could smell the sweet scent of her perfume.

  “Hungry?” he asked. He was, but not for food. His voice was low again. He hadn’t meant for it to happen. His body did involuntary things in her presence. “What would you like to do first?” A strong urge to wrap her in his arms came over him. He walked over to the sofa and sat, just to put a safe distance between them. “Here we can go horseback riding, play tennis, go out on the boat or just chill out. Other than that, we can take a ride into town. Before the day is over, you have to have a slice of huckleberry pie. No one makes it like the local folk.”

  “Let’s start by going into town. Then let’s come back and do everything you just said!” Kendall giggled.

  “We can, but that will take more than one day. I planned to get you back before your curfew tonight,” he teased.

  “Then we need to get moving. I want to experience everything this sanctuary has to offer.”

  Tyson stood, clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together. “Let’s do it.” He took Kendall by the hand and led her to the kitchen to retrieve the keys to the SUV he had stored in the garage.

  “Tyson.”

  He loved the way she called his name. “Yes.”

  “Thank you so much. This is just what I needed. It’s perfect. The perfect first date.”

  “Ah. So, we’re on a date now?”

  Kendall cut her eyes and gently punched his arm. “Show me the town, dude.”

  Chapter 21

  Kendall faced the window, taking in every bit of the scenery as they rode through town. The beauty of Serenity Ranch and its surrounding area had her smitten. They pulled up to a cozy little strip of shops in a town that looked like it had been painted for a film set. It hardly looked real. A few people strolled along the sidewalk looking as if they were in no hurry at all. Couples held hands, kids chased one another around the legs of their parents, and a few bike riders navigated paths alongside slow-moving cars.

  Kendall opened her window, sat back in her seat and let the mountain air caress her skin. It felt and smelled different from the air in Los Angeles. She closed her eyes and let the free strands of her hair billow out in the wind.

  “We’re here!” Tyson jumped out, rounded the SUV and opened her door.

  Taking her by the hand, he led her inside a quaint restaurant. It looked like a bakery, with several bistro tables covered in large red-and-white-checkered tablecloths. A bell dinged as they walked through the door. The smell of fresh pastries permeated the air, making Kendall’s stomach rumble and her mouth water. She felt hungrier than she had a moment before.

  “Hey there, Tyson buddy.” A small, elderly man with a head full of wiry, gray strands greeted him from behind a counter. “Back in town for a while?”

  “Just today, Sam. How’s Millie?” Tyson shook Sam’s hand.

  “Mouth still works!”

  “I heard that!” came a voice from the back.

  “Oops!” Sam said then winked at Tyson and let out a laugh that sounded more like a wheeze.

  Kendall and Tyson laughed as a woman with a full head of white silky curls that almost matched her fair complexion came from the back, wiping her hands on a towel. She walked toward Tyson with her arms open wide.

  “How ya doing, sweetie?”

  “Great, Millie,” Tyson said, stepping into her embrace. He had to bend low in order to hug Millie. She cupped his face and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. “Muah!”

  “Don’t get jealous.” Millie pointed back at Sam. “And who’s this pretty lady?” Millie peered over her glasses and swept her gaze over Kendall from feet to head.

  “This is my friend Kendall. Kendall, meet Sam and Millie Meadowbrooks.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Kendall held out her hand.

  Millie swatted he
r hand away. Before Kendall could take offense, she said, “Aw girl. We hug around here,” and wrapped her arms around Kendall.

  Caught off guard, Kendall didn’t know what to do. She looked over at Tyson, and he nodded and smiled. She returned Millie’s embrace.

  Sam came from behind the counter and hugged Kendall too. He gave Tyson a fatherly pat on his back.

  “You hungry?” Millie asked.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good! I just whipped up a fresh batch of honey biscuits. Sammy, how about a nice cup of coffee or tea to go with their biscuits?”

  “That sounds wonderful. It’s been a while since I’ve had one of your biscuits,” Tyson said.

  “Well, get comfortable. Let Sammy here know what you want to drink and I’ll be right out with a biscuit for each of ya.” Millie started toward the back of the bakery. “Whipped butter cream and preserves for you, Tyson, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Moments later, Kendall and Tyson sat across from each other at one of the small tables, with steaming cups of tea and coffee in front of them. Millie came out a while later with saucers carrying two oversize biscuits.

  “There you go, honey. Enjoy!” Kendall and Tyson thanked Millie, and she turned to walk back toward the kitchen. “Oh.” She paused midstep. “I baked fresh huckleberry pies this morning too. Wanna carry one back to the ranch with ya?”

  “Sure do!”

  “You got it. Now dig in.”

  “This is the largest biscuit I’ve ever seen in my life,” Kendall whispered.

  “I’ll bet it’s also one of the tastiest.”

  Kendall twisted her lips in doubt. “Not better than Momma used to make.”

  “Maybe not, but it’s damn good. They make their own whipped butter. Try it on the biscuit.”

  Kendall tore off a piece of biscuit, spread a little butter on it and dabbed a bit of the preserves. She put it in her mouth and thought her taste buds would explode. Closing her eyes, she moaned. “Oh my goodness!” She covered her full mouth as she spoke. “This is delicious!” she mumbled over the food.

  “Told you!” Tyson winked and stuffed a large piece of the biscuit in his mouth. His eyes rolled back. He plunged two fingers in his mouth to lick off the remnants of butter and preserves.

  Something about Tyson’s down-home gesture tickled Kendall. She’d always seen him in his professional mode but liked seeing him this way—relaxed. His guard had been tucked away.

  They finished up their meals. Millie boxed up one of her famous pies and sent them off with best wishes. They perused a few more shops on that block before getting into Tyson’s SUV and heading back to the ranch.

  While Tyson put the pie in the refrigerator, Kendall walked to the den to see the view of the lake through the wall of windows. The water was calm. A small boat and two kayaks swayed near the edge. Mountains stood handsomely in the distance beyond the lake. She opened the double doors and stepped out onto the deck. Looking at the scenery wasn’t enough. She needed to be a part of it. A light breeze flowed from the lake, offering a cool but bearable chill. Its light touch felt great washing over her body. It wasn’t cool enough for a sweater, but the breeze was still nice. Moments later, Tyson met her out back and stood by her side.

  “This view is amazing.”

  “It’s one of the main reasons I bought the house. You play tennis?” he asked.

  “Do you cry when you get beat?”

  “What?” Tyson reared his head back. “I don’t get beat.”

  “Humph! There’s a first time for everything,” Kendall teased.

  “We’ll see about that!” Tyson warned.

  An hour and a half later, Tyson had beat Kendall three times.

  “Who’s gonna cry now?”

  Kendall waved him off and tossed her racket into the bin with the others. “It’s the jet lag.”

  Laughter erupted from Tyson like bubbling lava. He shook his head. “The flight was only two hours. How could you possibly have jet lag?”

  Kendall threw her head back and laughed. She had no comeback. Tyson had won fair and square. “You should have let me win at least one game. I’m the guest!”

  “I would have if you hadn’t talked so much smack!”

  “Whatever!” Kendall smiled. Even after that intense game and trying to chase down the balls Tyson served, she felt relaxed. “Come on.” She grabbed Tyson by the arm. “I want to see the horses.”

  Tyson and Kendall jumped into a golf cart and drove over to the stables. He introduced her to his horses by name and let her choose which one she wanted to ride. Kendall choose one with a coat so shiny and black it looked as if it had been oiled with tar. He was beautiful. They spent the next hour trotting around the ranch.

  To Kendall’s surprise, they returned to the house to find a spread of fresh fruit, finger sandwiches, mixed green salad and bottled waters sitting in a cooler of ice. She wondered how it had gotten there. Of course, there were other people on the property. Someone had to maintain it, yet she hadn’t seen another soul other than the man who drove them from the jet to the house earlier. Where was he? What about the pilots, the attendants? Was the airplane even still on the property? She couldn’t see it from where they were. It was like everything they needed just magically appeared—tennis balls, rackets, saddles, food.

  “You’re so full of surprises, Tyson.”

  Kendall was delighted. She hadn’t had this much fun in... Kendall had to think. She’d never had this much fun with a man before. She’d had good times, but with Tyson, Kendall felt like she could be completely free. What was it about him that made her feel so comfortable? Eating to their fill, they downed their food quickly and then sat on the porch for a while.

  “We can’t leave without going out on the lake,” Kendall said.

  “Are you ready to check it out?”

  A wide, toothy smile spread across Kendall’s face. She felt like a child at Disney World. She wanted to try every ride, eat all the candy, take pictures with all the characters. She couldn’t leave with anything undone. She almost didn’t want to leave at all. The place was beautiful. Tyson was fun and sexy. Kendall shook her head. Focus!

  Tyson led Kendall down the wood plank to the small speedboat. He stepped in the wobbly vessel first and held his hand out to help Kendall get in. While Kendall took a seat, he started up the boat and took off. She held her arms out to the side and her head in the air, letting the wind whip at her hair. After a few minutes, Tyson shut off the engine and allowed the boat to drift along. He sat beside Kendall.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying today.”

  “Today was amazing so far. Just what I need. Thanks.”

  Kendall was so grateful, she wasn’t sure if a simple thanks could express the weight of her gratitude. Tyson could have easily taken her to some fancy restaurant back home. Instead, he thought about what she needed. She loved a considerate man. No matter what happened between them, she’d never forget this day.

  Kendall’s cheeks ached from smiling so much. She couldn’t help it. The water, the view, the mountains—it was all so breathtaking that it summoned her to relax. She leaned against Tyson’s arm. Kendall knew closing in on the space between them would insinuate a new level of intimacy. They’d been passing searing gazes back and forth all day, yet still keeping things at a friendly distance. She wanted to get closer to him, had desired to get closer since he had touched her hand to help her out of the car earlier. The tension between them started with a low sizzle and grew increasingly until it crackled like bolts of lightning. Neither could ignore the chemistry. It was thick and alive.

  Leaning on his hard body made Kendall grow warm inside. The intimate parts of her awakened. Her hand lay across his knee, and Tyson covered it with his hand. They floated on the water, bobbing with the ripples. No words passed between them. The silence was welcome, c
omfortable, right. A fresh, full breeze washed over them, cooling Kendall’s skin. She’d grown warmer against him. Soon after, Kendall pulled back and looked at Tyson. He turned to face her as well.

  “Thank you,” she said again.

  Tyson smiled. It was half-cocked and sexy as hell. The muscles at the meeting of her thighs tightened.

  “You’re welcome.” His voice was low and husky. He didn’t take his eyes off her.

  Kendall grew warm under his gaze. She swallowed. He continued to stare, searching her eyes. She looked deeper into his, as if she could glimpse his soul. Tyson leaned in, closing the space between his lips and hers. His eyes were still fastened to hers. Instinctively, Kendall’s chin lifted, readying itself for what was to come. Tyson drew nearer slowly, as if asking permission along the way. Kendall felt her lips part. Her body was acting of its own volition. Tyson closed in, pressing his soft lips on hers. Kendall felt like she was being kissed by clouds. Her lips parted more, receiving him. Tyson’s hands roved around her back. Kendall’s encircled his neck. Pulling one another closer, they drank each other in, kissed each other’s breath away. When they came up for air, both were panting. Kendall’s body was aflame.

  “Let’s go back.” The warm breath from his husky whisper caressed her lips. It was like a brush of warm wind.

  Kendall nodded. She couldn’t speak.

  Tyson started up the engine and sped back to the house. He anchored the boat, steadied it and helped her out, then pulled her straight to his chest right there on the dock. Tyson wrapped his arms around her, grasped and caressed her back, breasts and behind. Kendall’s hands roamed, explored as much of his tall, strong body as she could reach. She pressed herself against his pelvis. A moan rose in his throat. The quick ride back had done nothing to douse the inferno that had been ignited on the water.

  Together they walked toward the house, bodies and lips still locked as if letting go could stop them from breathing. Tyson twisted the knob, pushed the door open with his foot. He lifted Kendall in his arms, carried her across the threshold and gently put her down on her feet. She tugged at his shirt, popping a button, then tugged at his belt. Tyson helped her. His pants fell to the floor with a clink from his buckle. Kendall rubbed her hand over his erection, released it from the hold of his boxer briefs. It sprang forward, striking her. She giggled but didn’t stop. Tyson lifted her T-shirt over her head, freed her breasts and filled his mouth with one.